Hema Navigators

No brand that I've used has been perfect, mine can't find one particular street, but when you drive there it comes up on the screen. Depends totally on the mapping and info it is loaded with.

You might find that Hema only supplies the topo mapping not the GO TO maps.

Does a GPS have maps of country towns or just major towns?

Have been looking at buying one.

I think it uses route 66 software for the street to street directions?

Is there an update available for route 66?

The package I use (not route 66) is now 3 years old and yes there are streets missing.

I have had 3 GPS/Navigators so far & am about to give up on them.
To be quite honest I find them almost useless for anything but the most basic street navigation, with many streets missing, incorrectly named & crazy routes configured.
The one I have at the moment is a Garmin Nuvi 310 & is probably the worst of the 3.
The best mapping for rural areas without a doubt is Navteq, beats Sensis Whereis hands down.

I have never used one, but from everything I hear about them, from the troubles those on the forum have and especially when people come to the toll (which is 99% "I'm lost, my GPS is giving me the wrong directions") I'm not to keen to buy one, unless there is someone who can say "yep, for sure, this is the best one to go for".
I know eventually I will have to buy one, but even trying to find out through the forum or past posts which is the better one to get doesn't really help as it is all such different opinions. It makes it more confusing.

Hi Matt & Caz

I have a Hema Navigator which runs Route 66 for its general mapping and in my opinion it is not very good. It frequently comes up with area's which it does not understand. It cannot be compared with the Garmin City Navigator.

When you select the Hema Maps you will find it works well and supplies accurate navigation in the desert area's which is the only place I have used it. It is as accurate as a Hema paper map on which it is based.

I do however always carry paper maps and maintain an awareness of where I am on those maps. Whenever I stop, I record the position on paper so if I have to go back to manual navigation I have a recent fix.

I too have a Hema Navigator. Cost heaps, but I'm not smart enough - and couldn't be bothered buying the hardware separately then setting up the maps as some others have done.

I mainly got it because of the Australia wide mapping with Ozi Explorer and the Hema maps. That part seems to be good, but have not been to remote areas with it yet.

Route 66 is OK, but not great. Many areas are not fully mapped. Even in some long established areas, we get the ' you are entering an area that is not fully mapped any you may receive incorrect directions' message.

On the plus side, even country towns are covered. We went to Maclean, NSW last week and it found the place we wanted pretty easily following the verbal instructions.

On the down side (apart from the issue raised above), we have had a couple of directions to turn on a road when we were on an overpass and the like.

Overall, I think it is a good product. Just don't expect to always get to where you want to go without a map or other directions. A common issue, regardless of the brand and price of your unit.

Norm C

Hi mate we have just returned from a 10k trip and two months away and before we went looked at the hema gps at $990 as it had everything I wanted.

So I went to the store and had a muck around with it and found the screen very small and trying to use the ozi functions you had to use the stylus pen which on the move would be a pain.

Ended up buying a 7" GPS with route66 and rear camera input off ebay for #280 del then got a compaq laptop after cash back for $420 the BU353 GPS mouse for $95 and a friend of mine gave me his ozi and hema raster and a collection of 10th,50th maps of vic sa and wa and it was fantastic we found you need the larger screen to see the detail around you especially using the high detail maps.

Thanks everyone for all your help, it is appreciated, yes we paid $990 for our Hema, I guess we will see how we go with it, but always carry a paper map and learn to use a sextant LOL!!!

Cheers
Matt and Caz who are currently in panic mode as the container arrives Monday and we are no where near ready. The house settles on the 3/11 and we are off on the 4/11. YAY